Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-04
PASSING AN OUTPOST.
A FEDERAL SCOUT CAUGHT BY
THE CONFEDERATES.

| Making Slow Progress on Hands and
| Knees-Attacked by an Enraged Mother.
In Scrape-Caught by the Enemy:
| Libby Prison.
While Sheridan and Early faced each other
| in the neighborhood of Winchester there were
| times when the respective picketS traded to-
bacco and newspapers, and other times when
they shot to kill each other. l was on picket
duty up to twenty-four hours before the bat
| tie opened, and the reason l did not assist in
driving Early beyond Winchester was due to a
singular cause The willy Confederate chieftain
knew that we contemplated some movement,
and there was an aggressive spirit all around
the front. His scouts were pushing up to our
| lines after information, and it was plain that
he did not intend to be caught mapping.
Two days before the battle, being then
with the reserve picket at the front, three of
US were detailed or ordered to push forward
beyond the outposts i'll the direction of where
the Confederates were supposed to be throw.
ing up earthworks. We took different di-
rections from the start, but all had the cover
Of the woods. The Confederate outpost was
not more than musket shot from my point Of
departure, and the hour was 2 O'Clock in the
afternoon. l was to go as near as possible
pass the outpost if could 1t was probable
that Confederate scouts were thick enough
along the front, and / figured that my
chances for securing information were not
half as good as my chances for being knocked
over or made prisoner.
Before l was a stones throw from the
Union outpost was On my hands and knees
and carefully making my way forward. /
did not care SO much for the outpost, for he
would have permanent place, but the Con-
federate scouts would be moving here aud
there, and they were as crafty as Indians l
got along much better than l anticipated,
however. l crept within sixty feet of the out
post, who was leaning on his gun and smok-
ing his pipe, and l had passed him by 200
feet, and was thanking an old log, when, as I
turned the end of it, came full upon sow
with five or six pigs All were lying down
and seemingly asleep except one little pig.
They Were between the two armies and prob
ably belonged to some farmer who had
guard about his premises. The guard had
probably been withdrawn that day. or had
become negligent and allowed the pigs to
wander away. The old one had rooted over
large space of ground before she lay down,
and the little ones were covered with mud
from snout to tail.
The instant l turned the log the single
wakeful pig me and raised a clatter
which started the rest up, and then was in
a scrape. The little ones would have run
away, but the old one didn't propose to put
up with the intrusion. She bristled up and
rushed around and made such noise that l
knew the attention of the Confederate out
post would be attracted. Idrew back behind
the log, but my apparent cowardice enraged
the hog, and had to leap to my feet and
seize a club to prevent her attacking me.
Had she left me then l might have got out of
the trouble, but she would not go. She kept
menacing me so vigorously that l had to
stand on the defensive, and l was on the log
and waving the club at her when half dozen
Confederates came running up through the
woods and was made prisoner 1t was bad
enough to be captured, but they guyed me
numerically about the way of it, and l was
only too glad when l was sent back to their
main line to be packed off to Libby prison
Detroit Free Press.